NASA Briefing on Next Mission to Mars July 9

WASHINGTON, (NASA) — NASA will hold a news briefing at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Monday, July 9, to preview the launch of the Phoenix Mars Lander. The spacecraft is being prepared for liftoff from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in August. The briefing will originate from the NASA Headquarters auditorium, 300 E St., S.W., Washington. It will air live on NASA Television and be streamed online at:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

The Phoenix mission’s long-armed robotic lander will touch down on Mars’ northern polar region in May or June 2008. It will examine whether the icy soil there could have been a habitable environment for microbial life.